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Friday 19, November, 2004 17:45 - 19:30, No.2 Conference Room Workshop B Asbestos and Construction Chairs: Naoki Toyama and Anders Englund Miyake Kazuya Tokyo Construction Workers' General Union (Tokyo Doken), Japan ABSTRACT Introduction By the present from Jan. 2002, Tokyo Construction Workers' General Union (Tokyo Doken) has won the certifications under Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance Law for 32 workers and now is preparing for application of 71 cases. Among 32 victims entitled under the law are three workers with malignant mesothelioma, six workers with lung cancer and five workers with asbestosis. The asbestos-related victims account for as many as 44% (14 workers). The prevalence of asbestos-related diseases is increasing. 1. Four approaches to find out asbestos-related diseases and pneumoconiosis among members
As for the receipts of outpatients, we set about checking the receipts submitted in April every year. The review involves picking up the receipts which indicated the relevant diseases, mainly respiratory ones, including tuberculosis, lung emphysema, pneumoconiosis, interstitial pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, pleuritis, idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, asbestosis, silicosis, bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis. A questionnaire is sent to each patient identified to get more detailed information about his/her occupational background. The responses are reviewed and classified into three categories; A to C. The Category A includes the individuals whose diseases are likely to be occupationally-related. The Category B represents the individuals who should be followed up. The Category C accounts for the individuals whose diseases are unlikely to be occupationally-related. Additionally, the individuals who are highly likely to be contracted with occupational diseases are classified into the "Special A". The receipts of hospitalised patients are reviewed every month. Among 1100 to 1200 receipts in a month, we pick up the receipts indicating the relevant diseases, mainly lung cancer and mesothelioma, and such as lung emphysema, pneumonia. 2) Rereading of chest X-ray films Every year approximately 22,000 workers participate in the routine medical checkups, including chest X-ray examinations. Specialists are now proceeding to reread those chest X-ray films. The number is not so much, but they reread 3,000 films last year. 3) Screening for pneumoconiosis Doken Union's head office and several locals(five locals last year) organize the exclusive pneumoconiosis screening and the routine medical checkups including screening of it. Approximately, 4200 workers have received the pneumoconiosis examination. 4) Initiative of Mutual Aid Association 2. Encourage the workers to have medical checkups by specialists and acquire the certification for compensation The directors and staff of Tokyo Doken Union's locals contact the workers not only by mail but also directly to call them to have medical checkups by specialists. 3. Effort to prevent asbestos exposure and legislate against asbestos |